Microsoft and MTV get the Urge

MTV is joining forces with Microsoft to launch Urge, a music downloads service, early next year.

The software giant will supply the technology for the service, which will sell copy-protected WMA files from a start-up catalogue of more than two million tracks.

MTV would not say how much it will be charging, but did reveal that it will offer both a download and subscription service. Only Windows Media-compatible portable music players will be supported which excludes the iPod.

Jason Hirschhorn, MTV's digital officer, agreed that this is challenge.

'We think the iPod has done a great job,' he said. 'Our aim is not to switch people from iTunes and the iPod. We need to concentrate on where there's going to be a bigger market.'

Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg thinks this may be a tad ambitious.

'The biggest paradox is the people who are most likely interested in an MTV-branded music experience are also probably the demographic that has the highest interest in the iPod,' he told the Associated Press.